Mail-bag catcher.



A. D. CARNAGY. MAIL BAG CATCHER.

(Applicatiun filed Ndv. 11, 1898.)

Patented July 24, I900.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED D. OARNAGY, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE JOHN A. ROEBLINGS SONS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MAIL-BAG CATCH ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 654,223, dated July 24, 1900.

Application filed November 11,1898. Serial No. 696,150. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that l, ALFRED D. CARNAGY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Trenton, county of Mercer, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Catchers, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

IO The object of the present invention is to provide a construction by which greater certainty in the proper delivery of mail-bags from or to moving mail-cars shall be secured and the strain resulting from the catching of a bag :5 with the mail-car moving at a high speed shall be relieved. I attain this objectby the use of an elastic metal catch-ring, by Which the mailbag is caught by the mail-crane when delivered from the car or by the catch-arm on the car in taking up a bag by the car, this elastic metal catch-ring being of sufficient strength to stand the great strain of catching the mailbag, While at the same time having a sufficient elasticity to yield under and relieve such strain. The strain resulting from catching a mail-bag received or delivered by the mailcar running at a high rate of speed is thus taken up by the elasticity of the catch-ring, and shock or jar upon the mail crane or arm 0 on the car is prevented. This gradual yielding of the catch-ring also prevents the rebound of the catch-ring and bag which always exists with rigid catch-rings and which has been a great cause of difficulty in the operation of 5 mail-bag catchers, so that cushions, catches, and like devices of various forms have been used in attempts to secure certainty in the receipt and delivery of the bags. YVith the use of an elastic catch-ring these and other 0 difficulties heretofore existing in the operation of mail-bag catchers are overcome, and it is possible also to use a simpler and lighter construction of mail-crane and car-bag-catch ing devices.

Any suitable construction of mail-crane and means on the car for receiving or delivering mail-bags may be used in carrying out my invention; but for the purpose of description and illustration the invention is shown herein as applied in connection with a mail-bag ;o catcher of a well-known construct-ion adapted to exchange mail-bags between a moving mailcar and a mail-crane, the car thus both delivering and receiving a mail-bag, andthis construction will now be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and the features forming the invention then specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional ele- 6o vation of the mail-catcher, showing the parts in position for exchanging mall-bags. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken between the tnail'- car and mail-crane on the line 2 of Fig. 1-. Fig. 3 is a detail enlarged view of the'catchring. Fig. 4: is a cross-section of the same on a still larger scale. I

The mail-catcher illustrated is the same in general construction as that shown and fully described in United States Letters Patent No. 527,548, dated October 16, 1894, and this construction need be illustrat ed and described herein only sufficiently for explaining the present invention, reference being made to said Letters Patent for a full illustration and description of this general construction.

The mail-craneA carries at the top the pivoted supporting-bar B, by which a mailbag is supported in position to be taken by the mail-car, and below this the catch-bar O, on which is received the mail-bag delivered from the car. The car D is provided with the pivoted carrying-bar E, projecting toward the mail-crane when in horizontal position for receiving and delivering a bag and having the usual handle E projecting within the car for swinging the carrying-bar E between its vertical and horizontal positions.

A catch-ring F is secured to each mail-bag in any suitable manner, being shown as attached ()0 by a chain or cord 10 wound around the middle of the mail-bag and detachably connected with the catch-ring. In the construction shown the mail-bag G is the car-bag which is to be delivered, and bag G the station-bag to be received by the car.

.10 which with the car moving in this direction is the forward supporting-arm. If the car were moving in the opposite direction, the

station mail-bag G would be hung upon the arm h, which then would be the forward 1 5 arm. The catch-bar Obarries at its end next the car and beneath the cross-bar H a cross-bar. I, which forms at its opposite ends catch-arms 'i t" below and in line with the supporting-arms h h. The rear arm of these two cateh-arms "i t" catches or receives the can mail-bag G-that is, arm vi as the car is moving in the drawings. With the car movingin the opposite direction the catch-arm would be the rear arm and receive the car :5 mail-bag." These catch-arms t' 1 in the construction shown perform not only the function of catch'arms for receiving the mail-bag G from the car, but also act to hold the ring F of the station mail-bag G firmly and in proper position, as described in the patent above referred to. l

The carrying-bar E is provided at its end next the mail-crane A with a cross-bar K, which 'forms at its opposite ends supporting and catch arms 70 k, which lie between the cross-bars H I, so that the forward arm 70 passes through and receives the catch-ringF ofthe station mail-bag G, suspended by the forward supporting-arm h and catch-arm 'iof the mail-crane, and the rear arm 7t supports the ring F of the car mail-bag G and carries it over: the rear catch-arm of the mail-crane, soastodeliver this bag thereto. WVith the car moving in the opposite direction the action ofthe arms is It would be reversed. Each of. the it arms It 70 is shown as provided with spring-catches 11, by which thering F of the car mailabag may be held, while permitting it to be stripped therefrom, and with detentsprings; l2,"between which the catch-ring F of'thestation mail-bag G passes as that bag is received by the catch-arm 7c or-k, and the carrying-arm E has the pivoted retainingarmwL, providedwith yielding springs 13 for holding in position the ring F of the car mailbag G when suspended from arm 7c or 70, all asinthe patent above referred to. e The elastic catch-ring F may be of any construction suitable to secure the desired result; but it is preferably made, as shown, of

wire'rope or cable, this construction admirably securing the combined strength and elas ticity desired, and such a catch-ring forms in itself a specific part of the invention. This wire rope or cable catch-ring may be made in any suitable manner; but I preferably use a ring in which a single continuous strand, as 14, of the ring F illustrated and preferably of many small wires, as shown, forms the outer layer and core of the wire rope or cable,so that no splices are used in the construc-. tion of the ring, great strength and elasticity thus being secured. Such a ring is preferably made by making a form-ring of the same size asthe ring desired by bending a piece of wire rope, or cable into form, but without splicing the ends, the wire rope or cable of this. form-ring having strands of the same size, number, and arrangement as those of the ring to be'made; and then substituting for each of the outer form-strands in succession a winding of the single strand'from which i the ring is to be made, and finally drawing out the core-strand'of the form-ring and substituting for this core-strand the oppositeends: of the single strand which has been substi tuted for the outer form-strands.

While the invention has been shown asap plied in connection with a mail-bag catcher adapted to exchange mail-bags with the mailcar moving in either direction and with the same arms forming catch-arms or supporting arms, according to the direction in which the car is moving, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to such a constructionnor to any particular form ofdeviceszfor receiving or delivering the mail-bags, as my invention may be applied in connection with such devices of many difle'rentforms. It will be understood also that while the invention has been described in connectiorrwith the receipt and delivery of mail-bags and the general aterm of mail-bag catcher is applied to the construction to which the invention relates," the invention maybe usedalso in connection with handling other articles than mail-bags.

What I claim is- 1. Ina mail-bag catcher and the like, the combination of devices for supporting a mail bag or the like in position for its receipt by no or delivery from a moving car and forcatch-w ing said mail-bag when receivedby or deliv ered from the moving car, and an elastic metal catch-ring by which the bagis caught and held on its receipt or delivery,saidcatch- I r 5 ring being adapted to yield under the tension of transferring the mail-bag, substantially as: described.

2. In a mail-bag catcher and the like, the combination of devices for supporting a mail- :20 bag or the like in position for its receipt by, or delivery from a moving car and for catching said mail-bag when received-by or deliv ered from the moving car, and a wirerope or cable catch-ring by which the bag is caught 12 5 and held on its receipt or delivery, said catchring being adapted to yield underthe tension of. transferring the mail-bag, substantially asa. described. a

3. The combination with a mail-bag catch- :30

arm for catching and holding a mail-bag in transfer between a moving car and mail-station, of a wire rope or cable catch-ring by which the bag is caught and held by the catch-arm, substantially as described.

4. An elastic catch-ring for mail-bags and the like made of metal and adapted to yield under the tension of transferring the mailbag, substantially as described.

5. An elastic mail-bag catch-ring formed of 10 wire rope or cable, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. ALFRED D. OARNAGY. Vitnesses:

O. J. SAWYER, T. F. KEHOE. 

